President Donald Trump has once again insisted the US will take control of the Gaza Strip, as he met Jordan’s King Abdullah at the White House on Tuesday.
It was their first meeting since Trump announced his proposal to take over the enclave and move its population of two million Palestinians to other countries in the region, including Jordan.
Earlier this week, Trump suggested he could withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt unless they agreed to take in those Gazans.
Jordan, a key US ally in the Middle East, is already home to millions of Palestinians and has rejected the proposal. King Abdullah said after their meeting that Jordan’s “steadfast position [is] against the displacement of Palestinians”.
But speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, with King Abdullah seated to his right, Trump signalled he would not shift on his idea which triggered global condemnation when he unveiled it last week.
“We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to cherish it,” he said of Gaza.
Trump claimed that “a lot of jobs” would be created across the region if a US takeover of the devastated territory were to happen.
“I think it could be a diamond,” he said, adding that he now believes the US is “above” having to threaten other countries to participate.
King Abdullah sat quietly next to Trump as the president repeated a proposal that would upend decades of established US policy and could amount to a breach of international law, which prohibits the forcible transfer of populations.
Jordan has so far rejected the idea as a fundamental breach of international law, but has quietly expressed concerns about the kingdom’s ability to absorb large numbers of Palestinians.
On the possibility of taking in additional Palestinians, King Abdullah said a solution that is “best for everybody” would be necessary. He said Jordan would take in 2,000 unwell Palestinian children.
Trump, however, appeared unmoved and reiterated his stance that he expects Jordan and Egypt to play a part in housing resettled Palestinians.
“I believe we’ll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we’ll have a parcel of land in Egypt,” Trump said. “We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, we’ll have a place where they’re going to live very happily and very safely.
Following the meeting, King Abdullah wrote on X that the meeting was “constructive” and that his “foremost commitment is to Jordan, to its stability and to the well-being of Jordanians”.
But he made his country’s concerns with Trump’s proposal clear.
“I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” he said. “This is the unified Arab position.”
“Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all,” he added.
Jordan is already home to millions of people descended from Palestinian refugees who were forced from the land that became Israel in 1948, alongside those whose roots lie firmly east of the River Jordan.
The country has also absorbed waves of refugees from Syria, and is heavily reliant on US economic and military assistance.
The UN has warned that any forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is strictly prohibited under international law and “tantamount to ethnic cleansing”.
Trump on Tuesday appeared to dodge a question about that UN warning.
“We’re moving them to a beautiful location where they can have new homes, where they can live safely, where they can have doctors and medical and all of those things,” he said
King Abdullah said during the meeting that the matter would be discussed and both sides should “wait until the Egyptians” can present ideas.
The deal with Egypt is believed to be a proposal for the future governance of Gaza, backed by other Arab states as a way to counteract Trump’s plan.
While still being formulated, it is thought the proposal could involve a local administration of technocrats drawn from Palestinians in Gaza, without affiliating to factions including Hamas.
Since first revealing the US proposal during a news conference last week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his plan for Gaza, saying he is “committed to buying and owning” it.
In an interview with Fox News broadcast earlier this week, Trump said Gaza’s two million residents would be resettled and have no right to return.
“They wouldn’t, because they have much better housing,” he said. “I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”